Sudan reports 16 deaths from water diarrhoea in White Nile State

May 4, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese ministry of health Thursday confirmed the death of 16 people with Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) in the White Nile State on the border with the South Sudan.

Health minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda is currently touring the AWD affected areas, particularly Kosti, Ad Douiem, Al Gutaina and El Ghali localities.

In a meeting of the Health Services Coordination Council in Rabak, the state capital, on Thursday, the White Nile Ministry of Health Secretary General, Babiker al-Magboul, presented a detailed report about the outbreak that has emerged since the 8th April.

Al-Magboul confirmed that there are 973 AWD cases, including 16 deaths. He further said that the ministry has developed five tracks to deal with the outbreak, including disease surveillance, medicines, health promotion, chlorination of drinking water and health awareness.

The report further pointed to areas of threat in the White Nile and identified as the unsafe sources of drinking water, refugees camps, and the lack of sanitation and hygiene services in the municipalities.

The White Nile hosts roughly 138,000 South Sudanese refugees.

In a speech derived in the meeting, Minister Abu Garda said the health situation is reassuring. However, he added that the challenge still remains, requiring more efforts to raise awareness and to chlorinate drinking water outside the water network.

“We count on the development of health through state health coordination councils and the involvement of all relevant actors,” he stressed.

(ST)